Gunmen storm military air base in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD Gunmen have attacked a Pakistani military air base triggering a fierce firefight with security forces that lasted several hours. Several militants wearing military uniforms and suicide belts stormed Minhas air base at Kamra, near the capital Islamabad, just before dawn. Gunmen storm military air base in Pakistan Eight militants were killed, one soldier also died and the base commander was seriously injured. All of Pakistan's air bases were placed on high alert following the attack. The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the attack. Shortly after the attack began, at around 02:00 local time a police officer outside the air base, Hafeez Aulakh, said he could hear intense gunfire and see flames leaping up from inside, the Associated Press news agency reported. The attackers initially fired rocket-propelled grenades from outside, which damaged one aircraft. Air force spokesman Tariq Mahmood said the attackers then scaled a wall to get inside the base, though they did not reach the hangars there. He added: "We are checking every inch of the complex to make sure there are no other miscreants." Reporters who reached the scene several hours later said there was no sound of gunfire. Base commander Air Commodore Muhammad Azam was reported to be seriously wounded but in a stable condition in hospital. Earlier reports said two soldiers had died, but this was later revised. Officials have denied speculation that the base is connected to Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. Minhas is one of Pakistan's biggest air bases with about 30 fighter jets including new JF-17 planes - jointly developed with China - that are being assembled there. It is about 60 kilometers north-west of Islamabad. In May 2011, militants attacked the Mehran naval air base in Karachi, killing 10 soldiers. It took security forces about 17 hours to secure the base on that occasion. In 2009 a suicide bomber killed six people at a military checkpoint in Kamra, in Punjab province. BBC

Gunmen storm military air base in Pakistan

Eight militants were killed, one soldier also died and the base commander was seriously injured.

All of Pakistan's air bases were placed on high alert following the attack.

The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the attack.

Shortly after the attack began, at around 02:00 local time a police officer outside the air base, Hafeez Aulakh, said he could hear intense gunfire and see flames leaping up from inside, the Associated Press news agency reported.

The attackers initially fired rocket-propelled grenades from outside, which damaged one aircraft.

Air force spokesman Tariq Mahmood said the attackers then scaled a wall to get inside the base, though they did not reach the hangars there.

He added: "We are checking every inch of the complex to make sure there are no other miscreants."

Reporters who reached the scene several hours later said there was no sound of gunfire.

Base commander Air Commodore Muhammad Azam was reported to be seriously wounded but in a stable condition in hospital.

Earlier reports said two soldiers had died, but this was later revised.

Officials have denied speculation that the base is connected to Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

Minhas is one of Pakistan's biggest air bases with about 30 fighter jets including new JF-17 planes - jointly developed with China - that are being assembled there. It is about 60 kilometers north-west of Islamabad.

In May 2011, militants attacked the Mehran naval air base in Karachi, killing 10 soldiers.

It took security forces about 17 hours to secure the base on that occasion.

In 2009 a suicide bomber killed six people at a military checkpoint in Kamra, in Punjab province.